An environmental watchdog group in the Philippines, BAN Toxics, along with other environmental protection advocates, have urged the Pilipino government to promote “zero waste” as a principle and practice to reduce toxic and waste pollution in the country in time for Zero Waste Month.
Through Presidential Proclamation No. 760, signed in 2014 by former President Benigno Aquino III, January is declared “Zero Waste Month”. The aim of the proclamation is to promote designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials and to conserve and recover all resources, instead of indiscriminately disposing or burning them.
Zero Waste according to Proclamation No. 760, is a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient and visionary to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use.
“It has been 10 years since Presidential Proclamation No. 760 was signed into law, and yet the issues of toxins and wastes still exist. In order to achieve and embrace zero waste in our lives, we must work together by implementing and promoting toxins and waste reduction programs, especially at the community level,” Rey San Juan Jr, Executive Director of BAN Toxics was quoted to have said.
“Zero Waste is an ecological way to reduce our toxic and waste pollution problem in the country. We need to institutionalise environmental awareness among citizens and integrate ecological conversion into our hearts,” BAN Toxics added.
Story was adapted from EnvironNewsNigeria.
